After being bored last night, I came up with this idea and decided to write it up. It isn't directed at anyone in particular, so bear that in mind. If you conflict with one of the following traits, there's a chance you may be a shit-head. Don't be a shit-head. If you already are, it isn't too late. With the help of this list you might, just maybe, NOT be a shit-head.

This mostly has to do with things relating to the internet and/or bringing such things to real life, particularly internet discussions, as a list for all things in real life would be far too long. It is no way official.

In no particular order:

1. Know the Material Before You Take a Stance

Shit-heads like to fancy themselves experts on subjects they know nothing about. Combine that with the fact that arguments are constantly coming up on the Internet, and you've got a load of misinformation and flawed "knowledge". If you do get into some argument or debate over the internet, you'd better know what you're talking about. If you don't, you'll look like a massive shit-head to those who do. If you don't know enough on a subject to have a serious discussion on it, don't take part in one or challenge the knowledge of others who do. If you want to, read up on the subject or have some sort of significant experience with it, and then your thoughts will become more plausible since you'll have knowledge and facts to back it up, and you'll look like much less of a shit-head even if your stance isn't necessarily "right".

That's not to say you should make up facts or take knowledge from awful resources, however. That makes you look like even more of a shit-head.

For example, many discussions on the Pokemon meta involve this. If you don't know what you're talking about and bring up false points on a certain Pokemon/moveset while being adamant about your claims, people will prove you wrong and make you look like a shit-head. If you don't know enough about that particular subject to have a valid point, you've got no reason to discuss it. If you want to use the Pokemon/moveset, that's fine, but don't pass off lies or misinformation as truth. Again, just an example.

Speaking of which....

2. Don't Force Others To Accept Your Ideas

Self-explanatory. Now you may be thinking, "But Buck! Making this thread is doing just that!", but guess what, shit-head? The title clearly states this is a list of opinions. I recognize it isn't fact. Not to mention, you're not being forced to read it. If you don't agree with it, fine. It's entirely subjective. I'll still think you're a shit-head if you act like one according to this list, but I'm not going to make everyone decide if someone is a shit-head or not only by this list.

The same goes for other subjective matters. If someone doesn't accept your thoughts, you shouldn't get rectum-ravaged over it. You can still give a good argument to show why your stance is "right", but if someone is saying they don't want to argue over it, respect your ideas but still hold their own, present their ideas and evidence to support it when you're obviously the one being a shit-head (usually due to some other reason in the list), or something similar, going on repeating or trying to "win" your argument will only serve to make you look like a gigantic shit-head. You don't have to accept or even tolerate their ideas, but trying to argue where there is no argument is a high caliber act of shit-headdery.

It should be noted however, that if you're losing an argument and use the "I don't want to argue anymore" cop-out, you look like an even bigger shit-head. No one is convinced you've suddenly had a change of heart mid-argument and are now completely pacifist, but people do now realize you can't take it when someone can backup their thoughts on why you are wrong. This usually can only apply if you've already initiated an argument, debate, or the like.

If someone who isn't a shit-head is giving their argument, it is also important to avoid looking like a shit-head by not completely denying the other side without some sort of counter-argument.

What a mook. Not only did he not give any reasons supporting his claim, he also thought Mass Effect 3 had a good ending. That's like, double the shit-head-ness.

Spoiler:

For those of you who were actually going to take that contradiction seriously, I'm sorry, but you've failed the not-a-shit-head test.

3. Don't Attention-Whore/Don't Be A White-Knight

Attention-whoring is the act of drawing attention to yourself so the conversation can revolve around you or give you some other kind of attention. It is typically done by females who love to point out how they both have some sort of male-oriented hobby or behavior (such as playing video games, watching anime, or just spending lots of time online) and have a vagina, as if it's a disorder that prevents them from doing such things and that they should be praised for it. Some people (usually males) will encourage such behavior and give them the impression that they are a special snowflake who must only be treated with the utmost praise. This can lead to the female going on about drama in her life and such as she craves more and more attention. It's especially important to note the behavior of an attention-whore if one of her lackeys doesn't respond to her methods, as it will then become much more obvious that they are an attention-whore as they throw all subtlety out the window.

Don't pay attention to an attention-whore if you spot one, and don't become a "white knight", or one who will defend the attention-whore to the death or practically worship her. You will only end up looking like as much of a shit-head as the attention-whore herself.

However, it's important to know that a girl can have such hobbies and even talk about them without being an attention whore. As long as they don't keep bringing their gender into it (since it serves absolutely no purpose when talking about such things, unless you have some weird thing for yuri anime and keep recommending it to some chick or something) or keep trying to make the conversation about them, they're probably fine.

4. Learn To Read

If you don't even fully read the reasoning of someone else, you'll only manage to look like a shit-head when trying to provide a counter-argument or your own reasoning. If it leads to someone having to restate their case just so you can read it again because you skipped over something earlier out of laziness, you've already managed to make yourself look like a Defcon-1 shit-head. Even most shit-heads can read and analyze something, but if you can't even do the first step, you just might be a candidate for President Shit-Head.

Here's an example:

X[Upstanding citizen, not a shit-head, probably has a successful future]: [Argument that makes sense when read fully]Y[Neanderthal, shit-head, might pass high-school if he/she is lucky]: Hurr I didn't read that part lol

Y: Ahahaha! You know, that's funny. I wanted to be a lawyer. My cat was a lawyer. I know a lot of virgins. Let's talk about virginity. I am a Christian. The cross is an interesting shape. Shapes are fun. I hated Geometry. My teacher was a dick. Dicks are ugly. I like vaginas. Are you gay? I know a lot of gay jokes. They're funny because guys fuck.

On that last one Korasi, make sure to mention the fact that shit-heads won't make the follow up interesting, and the conversation becomes silent and awkward. However, if you use the joke as a starting point and drag it on because you think it'll keep the person talking to you, you are most likely a shit-head.

Evan wrote:On that last one Korasi, make sure to mention the fact that shit-heads won't make the follow up interesting, and the conversation becomes silent and awkward. However, if you use the joke as a starting point and drag it on because you think it'll keep the person talking to you, you are most likely a shit-head.

I most COMMONLY see this on many big community Forum such as Serebii and all.

Nah, this wasn't aimed at anyone. I just don't want it to be an issue here and thought it would be fun to write.

But yeah, the bigger communities do have a lot of it. I'm guessing that's because of the average age of the user on places like Serebii, and the fact that most people don't really know how to form an argument.